


Uncertainty on the Wings of Hope

by akumakoronso



Category: Kyle XY
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-11
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2017-12-11 13:48:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/799426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akumakoronso/pseuds/akumakoronso
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn’t the hunter that found Jessie after Tom and Kyle blew up Zzyzx. It was someone else. How will this one event, affect the lives of our characters? Hopefully, a better start will have an even better ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I’m not a huge fanfic writer, though I am an avid reader. I know, another “What if” but this popped into my head recently and I was so taken with the idea, I just had to try.   
> \--  
> I hope it was alright. Even if no one else is interested in it's continuation, I at least will try to finish it on my own. But let me know please! Drop me a line or two in a review. Thanks!

~*Chapter 1*~

The chirp of crickets through the night is a soothing sound. It is especially so when running from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Being an artist is no easy feat.

A warm, crackling fire heats her back as she prepares her meal, just miso soup for now, the chicken is roasting over the fire. She goes over to check it, knife slowly pulling part flesh enough to see… doesn’t seem quite done yet. Meandering around her campsite, she slowly eats her soup as she picks up her messes accumulated over the day.

She’s alone this time, camping. Sometimes her best friends come along, but not this time. It’s good to be along right now. Weary and stressed, the almost 30-year old could use some solitude right now. Everyone seems to be pairing off, and being the only single unwed, unattached female, can be quite…. bothersome when having a girl’s night and not being able to really be a part of that coupled world. She shakes her head to rid herself of these thoughts. No need to make her self depressed, this was suppose to be relaxing.

Coming from a southern family, she was also expected to pair off, be married with kids by now. Too bad she turned out too strong in will and personality for some of them southern boys. She got that from her daddy, the stubborn and hard-headedness.

Taking one more slurp of the miso, she sets it down on a stump to retie her hair, half the dark tendrils escaping from her bun as she busied herself with the clean up. She’s grown fond of the Asian cultures and food, vestiges from youth, she presumes. Going back towards the rotisserie, she stops half bent, knife in hand, as the snap of a twig underfoot breaks behind her.

Whipping around, knife at the ready, her eyes widen at the strange site before her. A young girl, naked as a newborn baby, stands before her, covered in some sort of clumpy goo, shivering.

“You alright, hun?” she asks, lowering the knife, but not quite putting it away. Wouldn’t want to be ambushed, just in case.

The girl looks at her and around the campsite, and slowly starts approaching the fire, her attention obviously captured by the warmth and smell of roasting chicken. The camper watches the girl for a moment, before putting the knife away, and gets between the girl and the fire, hands up, as if approaching a wild animal.

The girl freezes as the camper moves in front of her. Seeing her tense and fear, the woman stops and speaks softly, “Hun, it’s alright, I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m Miranda. Miranda Holloway. What’s your name?”

The girl tilts her head. Does she not understand? “I’m gonna get you a blanket, okay? Don’t want you getting sick. Stay there, alright?” Miranda hesitates a moment, hoping she got through, before backing away towards the 4-wheeler and trailer. Watching the girl a moment, she hasn’t moved besides following Miranda’s movements, Miranda turns to the trailer and digs up a flannel blanket. ‘This should do it.” She grabs a bottle water and rag while she’s at it.

Turning back towards the girl, Miranda catches her reaching for the chicken. Frantic, she half shouts “No don’t!” startling the girl away from the fire. She rushes over to the girl, grabbing at her hands. The girl jerks away, and Miranda rushes to calm her.

“No, no, sh, sh, it’s okay! I just don’t want you to get burnt! It’s hot and will burn! Ouch! See?” Miranda mimes burning her finger, and sticks it in her mouth. The girl looks at her and starts to smile.

Grinning back, “There now see? I’m not going to hurt you. Give me a moment and I’ll get some for you. It’s too much for me anyway.” Taking the blanket, she slowly wraps it around the girl. “There now. That’s better.” The girl slowly grabs the edges of the blanket, closing it around herself. She rubs her face against the flannel. It’s slightly fuzzy, and soft. Miranda smiles, and the girl seeing her, smiles back.

“I’m gonna get you that food now, ok?” Miranda points to the chicken and edges back towards the fire, pulling the knife out and grabbing the leg with a hanky, she cuts a leg off. Crawling back on her knees, chicken leg in hanky gripped hand, she blows on it and hands it to the girl.

Still hesitant and nervous, the girl takes the leg and sniffs it, before nibbling off a small warm piece.

“Good isn’t it?” Miranda smiles again, happy that this nervous and obviously abandoned waif trusted her. Seeing the leg almost gone, she goes to get the rest of her miso.

“Now I’d give you more, but I’m not sure when the last time you at was, so we’re gonna try some soup, alright?” Miranda scoops a bit out, and holds it in front of the girl. She just stares between Miranda and the spoon, unsure of what is being offered and what she’s suppose to do.

“Look, it’s not poisoned.” Taking a sip from the spoon and giving an exaggerated “Mmm,” Miranda holds the spoon back out to the girl, knowing she’s watching her every movement. Leaning forward, the girl sips from the spoon. Deciding it wasn’t so bad, she drinks the rest from the spoon.

Miranda continued to feed a few more spoons of the miso to the girl before stopping.

“There now. That should be enough for now. Being as I haven’t a clue the last time you ate, I don’t want you getting sick.” Pulling out the rag and bottled water, she wets a corner and mimes on her self. “Now I’m gonna wash your face okay? That goopy stuff’s gotta be itchy by now.”

Slowly, gently, Miranda wipes away the goo, revealing the girl beneath. “Oh you are gorgeous.” Warm amber eyes, that haven’t strayed from her so far, continue to stare out from a softly angled face, curtained by still goopy ringlets of hair.

Miranda sighed softly, gently removing hair from across the girl’s forehead. “Where’re you’re parents? Do you know?” Seeing the girl still not answer, “Well I guess we can’t stay out here then, can we? We need to get you cleaned up and find where you belong.” She rubs the girls arms, hoping she’s still warm; she glances around the mostly clean site.

“It shouldn’t take me long to clean up the rest and pack everything back into the trailer. Let’s go ahead and get you in the back, so I can give you buffer I the trailer. I don’t know what or who brought you here and left you like this, but I don’t think it was good, so I’m also going to try and hide you for now, okay?”

Giving a slight smile, and hoping, praying the girl understands, Miranda leads her to the trailer and helps her get settled. Arranging the pillows and blankets around her, Miranda makes sure she’s still covered and warm before taking a swig from the water bottle and giving it to the girl.

~*~

It didn’t take long to clean up the site, even with everything strewn about. Even with all her painting and camping supplies, it’s a good thing she packs light. She had no tent to worry about, being as she was just going to bundle up in the trailer.

“You’ll need to lie down now, okay? I’ve stacked everything so that hopefully nothing will fall on you, and you’ve got plenty of blankets and pillows to burrow and hide under. It’s shouldn’t take too long to get back to my car, so just sit tight.”

Moving towards the 4-wheeler, Miranda mounts and starts the engine, keeping an eye on the girl before pulling off in the direction of the nearest ranger station.


	2. What's in a Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miranda and her charge find themselves in a sticky situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to cut it off here otherwise it would have been an insanely long chapter. I hoped you enjoyed it and it wasn’t too confusing. The next chapter is already in the works. Let me know what you think!

They’d been riding so long it felt like they were going in circles. The park was huge, yes, but the campsites were only… all over the place.  Okay, time to face facts… Miranda and her mysterious passenger were lost going on an hour now.  She couldn’t keep riding around, making a ruckus in the middle of the night with a naked girl in her trailer! Especially the naked girl part, she wouldn’t be able to come up with a plausible and believable excuse if someone saw.  
  
Pulling into the next campsite, hoping someone was awake and knew where the hell she was, she parked the 4-wheeler. Walking around the back of the trailer, she eyeballed the stack of gear to make sure nothing shifted onto the girl, or may have fallen off. Nothing seemed to jump out at her. Coming up to the tailgate she lightly wiggled the girls foot, calling out to her.  
  
“Hey,” she whispered. The girl looked from the sky to her. “I’m gonna go see if I can find out where we are, okay? I seemed to have gotten myself turned around. You just stay here okay?” Miranda made sure the blanket was secure around the girl before going into the campsite.  
  
The girl, curious, sat up and watched Miranda edge into the campsite.  
  
“Hello?” Miranda called out. “Excuse me! I’m trying to find my way out of the park, but I seemed to be turned around.”  
  
As she called out, she saw a hunter stagger out from around the tent. He was a fairly big man, seemingly well muscled with a bit of a beer gut. Flushed in the face with a bottle swinging from one hand and a machete hanging from the other, he was quite once he realized a woman interrupted his evening party of one.  
  
“Well, hey there cutie pie. Ya come ta keep meh companeh?” he leered, coming toward her in what she was sure he thought was a sexy swagger, but to her was a drunken fool.  
  
“I’m sorry to interrupt your evening of lone wolf festivities, but I’m just looking for the path towards the exit.” She put her hands up, as if to ward him off. “I keep missing the sign for the entrance of the park and ranger station. My friend is waiting for me so if you could just point me in the right direction, I can leave you to your,” she quickly glanced around the site, “nightly amusements.” She didn’t want him to think that she was by herself, and no one was waiting for her in case he got any ideas.  
  
“Now there ain’t no need for that. Why don’t ya exit on into mah tent and we can have our own party, eh?” He slurred coming toward her, gesturing with his bottle and machete. He must have been more than enough drunk. He didn’t pay any attention to her last statement.  
  
She edged back, noticing he was almost upon her. “No, no that’s okay. I’ll just try to find it myself. Thanks for you help!” She tried to get away, but he grabbed her. She pushed at him, struggling to get out of his bear hug. He pressed her closer to his body, machete aligning down her back, and the stink of beer wafting into her face.  
  
“Hey now, ain’t no need to rush off! Party’s just startin!”  
  
She tried to scream, but the moment a sound left her mouth, he placed a meaty hand over her mouth, about suffocating her. She continued to try and squirm away from him, making whatever sound she could, as loud as she could, hoping someone could here.  
  
“No need to go squealin!” He breathed. “We’re just gonna have a little fun, you and me.” He switched the hand from her mouth to wrap around her back, presenting the machete in the other hand threateningly up to her face. “Now, not a peep out of ya, understand?”  
  
He leaned forward to kiss her and what little wiggle room she had, she used to block and push his face away. He ripped her shirt collar exposing her bra, even as she pushed him away. Pressing her nails as hard as she could, she scratched him across his face, and he threw her to the ground. He yelled out, touching the side of his face before looking to her, blood on his fingertips.  
  
“You’re gonna pay for that!” he snarled, charging at her, machete raised. Miranda tried to scramble away, when the silhouette of the girl she found earlier in the evening came between her and the hunter.  
  
“Jessi, no!” She screamed.

_~*~_

_It looked to be the hottest summer yet. Sweat poured from her brow as she bent to shovel out more manure from the pin. Even at midday, it had never been this hot in all her 16 years of life, and it was sunset now. Miranda stood straight, stretching the muscles in her back. A breeze blew through the yard, and she stopped a moment to enjoy it._   
  
_It was slightly cool and free of the city pollutants. The gentle smell of fresh cut grass, hay and land flowed past her, bringing her piece and contentment for just a moment. It was the simple things, like the breeze, that got her through days like this. Being punished was never a picnic._   
  
_A noise behind her broke her reverie.  She whipped around, shovel gripped in both hands, ready to stab a foot or something. The setting sun cast long shadows in the stables. Most, if not all the animals were in their pins for the evening, and only the pregnant mare stayed in a stall. Must be a cat. All the stable hands had gone to the local watering hole to have a few beers and check out the local ladies._   
  
_Her parents tried to keep her away from the more sinful nature of man, but she knew what they got up to at the bar and what happens when they pick a woman up. Miranda was sixteen after all, and curious._   
  
_She turned back to finish up the muck. She was almost done, another shovel, and she could join her little brother and parents in the house, after dumping the pale and cleaning up. She laid out fresh hay, and turned to leave to see a shadow standing at the stall opening._   
  
_“Hey there, little Merry. Finishin’ up for the evenin’?”_   
  
_“Malcolm! You scared me!” she gasped; hand over her heart to steady it. She hadn’t heard him enter. Malcolm was a new stable hand. He was a tall fellow, dark with a five o’clock shadow dusting his cheeks, and maybe not the most handsomest of guys. He hadn’t been there long, just a few weeks, but long enough to know that you shouldn’t accost your employer’s daughter in the dark. He must have been back early from the bar or maybe he never left. Either way, she could smell the alcohol on his breath from across the stall. Heart beginning to pound, hands starting to sweat and tremble, she clutched the shovel close._   
  
_“Aw, sorry ‘bout that. Didn’t mean to sneak up on ya.” There was an edge to his voice and posture she couldn’t trust. His lean on the stall entrance was almost predatory and the shadows of the evening sun only emphasized the imminent danger._   
  
_“I-I thought everyone had gone down to the bar to party and such. Why didn’t you?” Miranda hoped her trembling wasn’t visible to him. She tried to think of some way to get around him._   
  
_“I’d think you didn’t want me around, comment like that!” He commented sarcastically, hand over his heart, acting aghast at the suggestion. “Besides, I was looking forward to a party of just you and I.” He stalked towards her, and she knew he could see her trembling now, hands gripping tight to the shovel handle as she backed away for every step he took before she was cornered. As she began to raise the shovel, he lunged._   
  
_“NO!” She screamed, as they wrestled for control over the weapon. He was stronger and able to get it away from her before grabbing at her. Growing desperate to get away, she clawed at his face, before kneeing him in the groin._   
  
_“ARGH! You little bitch!” She scrambled around him, but he pushed her into a wall, still bent in half from her knee. Miranda bounced as best she could off, before scurrying out the stall and towards the stable door._

_~_   
  
  
_“Jessi, could you go check on your sister? She shoulda been done by now.” Momma Holloway ask, turning way from the table to bring in more food from the kitchen. There were still the rolls and gravy to bring out, water and tea, and the desert chilling in the fridge needed to be checked._

_The young man she addressed, finished setting the glasses, before heading towards the back door. “She pro’bly ain’t even finished, lollygaggin’ and daydreamin’ like she does.” Jessi was a strapping young boy of twelve, apple of his parent’s eyes, and astonishingly protective of his big sister. He’d be helping around the stables long enough to know that many hired hands passing through, weren’t as trustworthy as they’d like his daddy to believe. As he crossed the threshold of the mudroom, a scream pierced the air._   
  
_“NO!”_   
  
_Jessi’s eyes widened in shock and fear. “MERRY!” he yelled before tearing down the deck steps towards the stables._   
  
_“MOM! GET DAD, IT’S MERRY!”_

_~_

_Malcolm had recovered before Miranda could get through the stall door, but her long legs still gave her a bit of a head start. She hoped it was enough to get to safety. Unfortunately for her, luck was not on her side. In her need to escape and keep an eye on the distance between herself and Malcolm, Miranda failed to remember the bucket she’d left from clean up that she would have taken to the fertilizer heap on her way out._

_She tripped, falling to the ground, scraping her hands and tearing the knee of her pants. “No, no no no no… please don’t, please…” she cried, rolling onto her back, whispered pleas falling on deaf ears. She saw light glint off something in his hand from the stable light outside the doorway. Miranda didn’t know how, didn’t know where, but some when, Malcolm had pulled out a machete, and was advancing towards her with it. He raised the machete above his head, and as it swung down at her, a shadow appeared between her and the weapon._

_“DON’T YOU HURT MY SISTER!”_

_“JESSI! NO!”_

_The machete sliced through Jessi’s shoulder, into his chest cavity. The world seemed to slow around Miranda, as she watched her little brother fall before her._

_Her father and mother came racing through the stable door, shotgun at the ready, warning shot fired. Malcolm, startled out of the dazed he’d fallen into, fell to his behind. Mom trained the shotgun at him, and dad hogged tied him for the authorities._

_Miranda couldn’t look away or move from her crouched position over her baby brother._


	3. Prey and Predator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was she doing out there all by herself, naked? What happened to her? Miranda starts asking the right questions and may be confronted with the answers before she’s ready. Madacorp makes an entrance, and the Trager’s deal with the emotional return of Kyle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was insanely difficult for me to write. I had a difficult time trying to get the characters to move along the story, and I couldn’t get them to say or do what I wanted them to. Bah. Also, a good portion actually comes from the episode.
> 
> I feel like this chapter was oddly short too, but maybe because nothing all that exciting happened? Anyway, way difficult for me to get them to leave the park, and I could have gone further, but I felt that this was a good stopping point. Also, FYI, I may only be posting 2 chapters a month for now on.

**Title:** Uncertainty on the Wings of Hope  
 **Chapter:** 3/?  
 **Beta:** none  
 **Pairing(s):** Kyle/Jessie (main)  
 **Characters:** All  
 **Disclaimer:** Have not, own not.

 

~*Chapter 3: Prey and Predator*~

 

The Madacorp offices and building were seemingly empty and dark this time at night. With the exception of security monitoring the facility and running nighttime patrols, no one should have been on site. Julius Ballantine, however, was working overtime.

He sat at his desk, typing up reports and going through his emails, when an alert started flashing on the screen.

ALERT  
781228

Mildly annoyed, he pulled up an access screen; typing in the alert code, pressing enter. Something must have happened at one of the outlying facilities. A map loaded, it’s gridded red lines dividing screen into coordinates. One square, in the lower right corner of the map, blinked red. Ballantine zoomed in several times, bringing the Zzyzx facility into focus. After examining it a moment, he picked up the phone.

“Get me Hollander.”

 

~*KXY*~

 

The Trager’s, no less excited and happy about Kyle’s return, were dismayed and shocked that the family he just got back, had been taken from him again.

“According to the police report, David lost control of the car and it plunge into a canyon. The gas tank was punctured and the car caught fire.”

Brian Taylor had come with Kyle, under the pretense of being the Peterson’s lawyer. Taylor was actually the long time friend of Adam Baylin, Kyle’s progenitor. He was a pretty good actor himself, feigning the sympathy and detachment of an acquaintance. Being Baylin’s closest friend and associate made him good in many things and areas. Nicole and Stephen Trager had no reason to disbelieve him at this point, and if everything goes to plan, hopefully never will.

“That’s horrible.” Nicole sighed, shaking her head. She could only imagine the pain Kyle must be going through. Stephen was silent, but no less weary and worried about how this would affect his Family, more so Nicole.

“But, for the grace of God, Noah decided to sleep in that morning, otherwise we would be having a far more difficult conversation.” Taylor added, trying to add a more humorous and happy note to the otherwise sad news.

“And you say this happened a week ago?” Stephen asked, disbelievingly.

“That’s right.”

Stephen’s face scrunched, trying to understand, “Well, I’m just surprised that Kyle… Sorry. We’re still not used to his real name.” He said, indicating Nicole and himself.

Brian gave a little chuckle. “I understand.”

Stephen continued, “Why didn’t he contact us sooner?” He and Nicole looked to Brian.

“Well, he missed you terribly. And to be honest, I… Well, I had to insist that he come here at all. He was rather reluctant to involve you and your family again.”

“Why?” Nicole asked, aghast that Kyle would ever do such a thing. They cared about him so much already. Didn’t he know they cared and wanted to be there for him?

“Well, he felt that he’d already been enough of a burden.” Brian answered.

Nicole choked a gasp of incredulity, rolling her eyes at such a though. Stephen snorted in exasperation, turning his head away and rubbing his hands together in anxiety.

“Kyle’s never been a burden.” She looked imploringly at Brian, trying to convey how much they care about Kyle.

“I’m glad to hear you say that.” Brian started, “See, Julia and David named you his permanent guardians.”

What? All thought stopped in Nicole’s head. “His guardians?” She looked to Stephen, hoping he’d have more grasp of what they were being told. He had an equal look of amazement across his face, giving a little scoff in astonishment.

“It’s not that we don’t want Kyle,” Stephen began, backtracking a bit incase Brian started to think they were outright nixing the idea.

“We went through so much when we lost him the first time.” Nicole said, finishing Stephen’s thought. “If he stays here, and another relative come to take him away again, I…” Nicole started to shake her head, anxiety beginning to rise. Stephen started to rub her back, trying to comfort her, calm her, while Brian continued with the story he and Kyle came up with.

“There are no relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Trager.” He said, looking to them both. Nicole and Stephen were still in a world of disbelief, shaking their heads, hoping this all wasn’t a dream. Stephen went back to wringing his hands and Nicole went back to staring at Brian, trying to absorb everything.

“It’s a lot to take in.” He said, “I understand you need time to think.” He reached into his inner suit pocket, pulling out a pen and pad. “We’re staying at a hotel near the airport-”

Nicole interjected, looking toward her husband to see if he objects, as she presented her idea. “Would it be alright if he spent the night here?” Stephen smiled at his wife, looking to her than Brian.

Brian nodded enthusiastically, “I’m sure he’d like that very much. I’m planning on leaving town tomorrow evening. Really the only question for me is whether I’m buying one plane ticket or two.”

Nicole nodded her head, looking down at her hands and taking a deep breathe.

 

~*KXY*~

 

Kyle circled his tub, staring at the sheet lying over it. Why was it covered?

“Mom was having a symbolic moment,” Lorie stated, turning to face Kyle and leaning against his armoire near the head of his tub. “Her way of letting you go.”

“Well, I always knew you’d be back.” Josh stated cockily, rocking back on his feet a little, hands in pockets. He chose to stand adjacent to Lori, near the window where Declan had snuck in during the rain once before.

Kyle turned to him and smiled. “You did?”

Josh scoffed, indicating with his head, “Not like this, but yeah.”

Kyle said nothing, his eyes roving his room a bit before settling on the picture he drew of Amanda the first time he saw her. He walked over to stand in from of it, he face scrunching in remembrance. It would be great to see her again. Maybe she won’t be with Charlie. Lori came forward, hands behind her back, worried.

“Kyle, are you ok?” She asked. “I mean, I’m sory. I know that sounds lame.”

Kyle turned back to her and smiled reassuringly. “No.”

“I don’t know what else to say.” Lori shrugged her shoulders and Josh gazed at them both from his vantage point.

“You don’t have to say anything.” He said, before turning back to his picture of Amanda.

“So is it weird being back here?” Josh asked.

Kyle turned away from his corkboard again, sighing a bit at the rush of nostalgia. He looked around his room again, not really seeing anything. “A little.” It was wonderful being back though. This was his family, and he loved them dearly.

The three looked at each other a moment, before Lori looked down at the sheet over his tub and back at Kyle, moving to the head of the tub and removing the sheet. She wound it around her arm in a ball, sighing.

“There. That’s better.” Everyone smiled, memories rushing to the forefront of their minds at the sight of the uncovered tub.

“Glad to see it?” Josh asked, still thinking it was funny Kyle would sleep in a tub. He came to stand to one side as Kyle went to the foot, gazing down at it.

“Very.”

 

~*KXY*~

 

There was quite a hustle and bustle as Detective Jason Breen pulled into the camping grounds. Curious campers and bystanders crowding around police barriers, reporters and their stations trying to report the latest news. He likened them to vultures ready to converge and assail the victims.

“Ma’am, I’m Detective Jason Breen, I was told you asked for me?” Detective Breen barely saw the victim before his arms were filled with her tears and misery.

“Uncle Jason, oh my God!”

“Merry?! Wha? What’re you doin’ out here?” The station didn’t give him a lot of details when calling him in, only said the victim knew something he would be interested in and need to speak to him. He hugged her tightly before drawing arm’s length back.

“I’ve already filled out the police report and been seen to by the medics. They arrested the guy for attempted rape and assault, as well as hunting out of season and being under the influence.” She paused a moment, sniffing.  “But I still need your help. We need to go somewhere private, and I need your help with her.”

“Her?”

“Well, I called her Jessi, but I don’t know what her real name is, or if she even knows it. She hasn’t spoken to me yet.” Miranda looked over to Jessi, finally clothed in extra sweat pants and jacket the ambulance had stashed. Jason followed her gaze. Jess was sitting in the trailer, drawing with Merry’s art supplies.

“ I don’t understand. What happened?”

“Look, I can’t do this again, not here okay? When we get home, I’ll do the best I can to explain. There are still some things I don’t get.” Her eyes pleaded with him to agree. She needed to get away, someplace safe and not exposed.

“Yeah, alright, alright. Let’s go ahead and get your 4-wheeler taken care of, and you check out the park. Then we’ll go from there, alright?“

Miranda nodded, letting go of Jason to go back over to Jessi. Still facing the tailgate of the trailer, Jessi stayed focused on her drawing pad, blanket covering her tracksuit-clad legs. As she made her way over, Miranda began to notice the way Jessi drew. It was a bit strange to see her stipple draw, jabbing at the pad repeatedly with the oils, especially if Jessi has never drawn before. Beginning artist didn’t usually stipple as an art form, only for practice and technique, learning it before moving on to stokes and hashes and shading; whatever takes their imagination and never to return to stippling.

She stopped in front of Jessi, pausing a moment, just to gaze at her. She didn’t pause when Miranda stopped in front of her, didn’t show she was aware of anything around her. She was so focused, gaze intent on the pad. Miranda could tell that Jessi did know she was there, as her body tensed slightly.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Miranda leaned over the back of the pad to see what Jessi was working on, and was stunned at the simplistic yet intricate nature of Jessi’s work. There were reds and oranges and blacks, maybe representing flames? She couldn’t see the pad so well over the top, but it looked like something caught fire. Did Jessi escape from a fire? Is that how she lost her memory? She hoped Jessi would come to trust her and show her.

“Jessi, we’re gonna get going now. My Uncle Jason, the detective over there, is gonna come with us home, and he’s gonna try to help us.” Miranda indicated back the way she came. When Jessi didn’t stop to look at her, Miranda lightly touched her shoulder.

“Jessi,” she said softly, waiting for the girl to lift her head. Jessi slowly raises her head, staring at Miranda through the curtain of her hair. It was oddly vulnerable. Miranda tried to convey as much reassurance as she could from her eyes to what she could see of Jessi’s. “It’s gonna be okay. He’s family and he’ll do everything he can to help. And hey, we won’t get lost this time!”

A smile slanted across her lips as they looked at each other. Miranda lightly squeezed Jessi’s shoulder before moving to the straddle the 4-wheeler and pulling out after her uncle towards the ranger’s station to get her car.

 

\--Tbc


End file.
